The 28 best ramen shops in Chicago

Reservations at “Ramen Lord” Mike Satinover’s Logan Square restaurant have been hard to come by since it opened in November 2023, though walk-ins are welcome to try to find a spot, especially from 5-7pm weekdays. Rather than striving for authenticity, Satinover experiments with dishes like the Midwest Shoyu made with thin, flat noodles, katsuobushi, pork chashu and fried onion, and the restaurant’s namesake Akahoshi Miso made with lard and crinkly Sapporo-style noodles. There are also soupless varieties available if it’s too hot for broth.

Tucked into the sprawling suburban Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights is the Chicago outlet of this popular ramen chain that first opened on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. Before stocking up on rice noodles and jars of chili oil from the market shelves, make your way to the sparse central food court and order a bowl of ramen. The soups here are straightforward and unfussy, but the grid-like menu is extensive and can be overwhelming. There's miso, shoyu and shio broths, and while you won't go wrong with any of the choices, but we’re partial to the spicy miso ramen, with a silky broth. Regardless of your broth choice, make sure to order your bowl topped with tender slices of chashu pork that the restaurant is known for.

This teeny-tiny hidden oasis under Green Street Smoked Meats in the West Loop is usually tought to get into unless you arrive early. Those lucky enough to snag a seat are rewarded with tonkotsu, shio, shoyu or maitake ramen. You can adjust the heat level on all of the options, opting for full, half or quarter spice—all of which flaunt a satisfyingly painful burn. If you really want to sweat, add kanabo spice, which promises "face-numbing, tear-jerking, unbearable" properties. Cleanse your palate with a can of Sapporo beer, sake or cocktail slushie.

Even the most brutal Chicago weather can't keep us from venturing outdoors for a bowl of piping-hot soup from this Japanese spot in Logan Square. The ramen here is simple and unembellished, free of the trends and cutesy interpretations finding their way into many of the city’s noodle bowls. The subtly spiced broth is rich and cloudy with pork fat rendered from Berkshire pork bones, made in a time-consuming process that takes over 45 hours. You can't go wrong with the fan-favorite Original, which includes tender pork belly, a soft-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, 'shrooms and garlic oil.

Self-professed noodle nerd Katie Dong is the maestro running this buzzy Logan Square shop. You’ll want to try the gyukotsu-style ramen, a specialty of southern Japan that’s made with beef bones and rarely found in the States. Feel like splurging? The namesake Monster Ramen comes with wagyu rib roast, wagyu chashu and beef jam. The noodles are no afterthought, either—they’re crafted in-house using an imported machine.

There are plenty of places to get a bowl of tonkotsu or miso ramen throughout Chicago, but few specialize in tsukemen—Japanese dipping noodles. At Chicago Ramen in Des Plaines, which also has several spin-offs and outposts in the suburbs, chef Kenta Ikehata offers the best version of the dish we’ve tried. Essentially deconstructed ramen, it consists of cold noodles served with a bowl of rich broth that's meant for dipping. For something more traditional, we recommend the chicken mapo tofu ramen, a marriage of Asian staples. Chicago Ramen has multiple locations throughout the suburbs.

The Chicago outpost of the Japanese chain ramen shop might be a little bit of a drive, located in a strip mall in Mount Prospect, but the trip is well worth it. Known for their miso ramen, the shop is adorably littered with miso propaganda, highlighting the fermented soybean paste’s supposed health benefits (it’ll make you smarter, more alert, skinnier, clear up your skin and cure most illnesses). The miso broth is some of the best in the city, imparting each noodle-packed bowl with a nutty and complex flavor from the rich soybean paste. If you can handle the heat, be sure to add more spice, which has a pleasant and warming heat that will help take the chill out of even the coldest winter day.

The folks behind Ramen Wasabi and Ramen Takeya landed in North Center for their third concept. The focus of Menya Goku is tantanmen, a Japanese take on Sichuan dan dan noodles. The pork broth gets its tingly, mouth-numbing properties from peppercorns as well as a slight nuttiness through sesame paste. Each bowl is teeming with noodles, ground pork, bok choy, green onions and marinated bamboo shoots. It’s the perfect dish for the cold.

This global ramen chain aims to bring the traditional Japanese experience to Chicago through its robust menu of flavor-packed ramen creations that are totally customizable (it's easy to add toppings or opt for a low-sodium broth). Keep it simple with the garlic tonkotsu with pork broth or go all in with the tsukemen, a deconstructed ramen variation that is presented with a separate bowl of broth for dipping.

This Fulton Market spot (a sister restaurant to Ramen Wasabi) dishes out paitan and shoyu ramen in big bowls filled with umami-rich broth. Takeya’s chewy egg noodles complement hunks of tender pork belly, making the Tokyo Classic shoyu an easy favorite. There’s even a vegan option on the menu, with seitan ragu in a mushroom-seaweed broth. Wash it all down with smooth Japanese whisky over ice or a classic, crisp Sapporo.

Not content with just one noodle empire, Strings owner Kenny Yang opened a second concept in the West Loop in 2022. The house specialty, gyukotsu-style ramen, is made with a creamy beef bone broth served with beef chashu or braised wagyu along with wontons filled with wagyu and truffle. If you’re feeling extra ravenous, the $30 premium bowl features all of the above plus beef tongue and extra beef chunks. Everything can be spiced to your liking with their signature hell sauce.

One of the latest additions to the Chicago ramen scene is this chain with locations throughout the U.S. and Japan. You can expect to find several types of ramen represented on the menu, from the traditional tonkotsu and shio varieties to an unorthodox kimchi ramen. The house special (and our favorite) is the Mega Ramen, a bowl filled with chashu pork, shrimp, bamboo shoots, wakame, marinated egg, nori, corn and scallions, and there’s also a variety of cold beverages from bubble tea shop TBaar. A second outpost is located in Oak Park.

This Wicker Park ramen shop puts its 18-hour pork stock and chewy, house-made noodles to good use in imaginative creations like the Pozolmen with pork belly, jalapeños, red onion and tomato. Get funkier still with the Musclemen, mussels and bonito flakes in chili pepper-spiced miso. No order is complete without a few buns to share, and with options like tempura cod and duck breast, there's something for everyone in your crew.

If tonkotsu is your favorite style, head out to the suburbs (Palatine, Vernon Hills or Glenview) for arguably the finest version. The intensely concentrated broth is the result of a 15-hour bone-boiling process and accompanied by egg noodles, tender braised pork, soft-boiled egg, scallions and bean sprouts. We’re also fans of the spicy Taiwan noodle with ground pork, as well as the curry ramen topped with fried chicken.

A meal at Ramen-San usually starts with an order of buns or dumplings, but regulars know that these appetizers are just the opening act. The restaurant's Tokyo-style wavy noodles meet their match in unconventional ingredients like fried chicken and buttered corn. Vegetarians dig the Tantan-San with a veg-based broth, cremini mushrooms, bok choy and chunks of tofu. Better yet is the fact that you can upgrade any bowl with a menu of add-ons, like fried garlic, spicy sesame chili, chashu pork or wontons. There are also locations in Lincoln Park, Streeterville and Fulton Market.

Whether you're ordering from Strings in Chinatown, Lakeview or Hyde Park, there's a section on the menu that will undoubtedly catch your eye: Hell Ramen. With up to five spice levels to choose from, the appropriately named dish is crafted with shoyu broth that's infused with hot peppers and chili sauces (level five incorporates scorpion peppers). For everyone else, there are plenty of tamer options, including turkey miso ramen. Noodle fiends can request kae dama or "extra noodles, please!"

Ramen broth is deeply rich and satisfying but generally produced by boiling animal bones, leaving vegetarians with little to no options. Fortunately, this chain from Tokyo has arrived to expand the local scene. Rakkan’s umami-laden broth is 100% plant-based, made with dashi, shiitake mushrooms, onions, ginger, carrots and garlic. As a result, the bowls here are roughly 40% less fat than traditional tonkotsu ramen.

This laidback ramen emporium wins when it comes to customization. Simply choose a chef-crafted ramen bowl, add toppings and slurp quickly—that's the key to ramen consumption, according to chef Shin Thompson. First timers will dig the Tokyo shoyu bowl with tonkotsu broth, soy, pork belly, mushrooms, cabbage, nori and naruto. If you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous, go with the namesake Furious bowl, a miso-based broth with lip-numbing heat that burns without being overwhelming.

Chef Bill Kim keeps our bellies happy with his playful menu of Asian staples at this sunshine-filled restaurant in Wicker Park. Start with an assortment of dumplings, which are available in flavors like edamame, lemongrass chicken and barbecue beef. You'll want to save room for hearty entrees like ramen with kimchi-braised pork belly, chicken katsu and chicken wontons.

Located in the food court of the Gangnam Market Asian grocery store, Seven Faced Bird Ramen is a rarity in that it eschews beef and pork in favor of turkey. Bones are used to craft clear shoyu and creamy shio broths while the meat is seared to make chashu, bundled with shrimp into wontons or stir fried as part of yakisoba. Grab a bowl and visit the neighboring stalls for milk tea and dessert.

When a popular ramen chain from Canada set up shop in the West Loop, we raised our eyebrows in interest. But Kinton had us at first slurp. The Toronto import's menu is sorted by base, with pork, beef, chicken and vegetarian bowls. Forgo tradition and spring for the spicy jalapeño variety, which is topped with chicken breast, nori, wood ear mushrooms and jalapeño paste. Maybe Canadians know a thing or two about ramen after all.

When you slurp the broth at this Bridgeport ramen shop, you're tasting the product of hours of simmering (nine hours for the pork broth, eight for the chicken). This time-consuming approach to cooking is what gives the bowls at E Ramen their rich flavors, which are best appreciated in their unadulterated classic configurations. But if you're looking for something a bit more interesting, a variety of spicy ramen options ratchet up the heat, while the nabeyaki udon offers a lighter broth with shrimp tempura. E Ramen's pork gyoza, sushi rolls and rice bowls don't disappoint, but we recommend eating your way through the broth-y noodle bowls first.

Nicknamed the "Midnight Diner," this Bridgeport restaurant stays open until 1:30am most nights of the week, serving affordable eats and an impressive lineup of ramen. The yuzu-chicken variety boasts a citrus-laced broth, grilled chicken and wood ear mushrooms, while the tomato-vegetable ramen spotlights matcha noodles and stir-fried produce. Treat yourself to the taiyaki, a fish-shaped cake with red bean filling, for dessert.

Chinatown’s Kuro Ramen welcomes big groups looking to satisfy late night cravings. The signature tonkotsu ramen features chashu, corn, narutomaki and egg seasoned with housemade black garlic oil while the tom yum seafood ramen blends Thai and Japanese traditions with a tangy broth filled with shrimp and mussels. The extensive menu includes bites for the adventurous like natto—slimy and strong smelling fermented soybeans—along with crowd pleasers like chicken karaage.

A small, unassuming Japanese restaurant just off the bustling Halsted Street corridor in Lincoln Park, Kameya offers a mighty selection of sushi—but that shouldn't stop you from ordering the ramen. The bowls here sport a buttery yet surprisingly light broth, garnished with your choice of pork belly, beef ribeye, chicken katsu, seafood or gyoza dumplings. Cabbage, green onions and an egg add some other flavors to the mix, but the simplicity of these bowls is what makes them so appealing.

A minimal but handsome dining room and friendly staff await at this Lakeview restaurant. The welcoming committee also includes three types of ramen: extra thick tonkotsu; rich, porky miso; and mildly salty shio ramen. You can get it with pork chashu, chicken karaage, shrimp tempura or tofu, and also boost your bowl with extra ingredients for an additional fee. Before you start slurping, pad your belly with an order of geso karaage, tender squid tentacles rendered golden-brown and delightfully crispy with help from the kitchen's deep fryer.